There are always loads of recipes I'd like to try but lose them before I do. This is where I can record recipes I find interesting and keep notes on my experiments with them.

I have a system that I've adopted for working through recipes:

1 - New recipes are saved to the Experimental Mouffette and is labeled : Untested
2 - As I'm working out the changes I'd like to make (if any) it is labeled : Testing
3 - Once I think I've got the correct formula it is labeled : Test 1
4 - IF I am able to reproduce the effect a second time it is labeled : Test 2 - if I am not able to reproduce the effect, it remains Test 1
5 - The same process as step 4 is used to graduate it to Test 3
6 - Once I have been able to reproduce the effect successfully 3 times, it graduates to my main blog, La Mouffette Gourmande

European Union visitors, please visit the following link concerning cookies (the computer kind, not he eating kind) Blogger cookies

Saturday, February 23, 2019

Pork Grilling Guide

Sausage, fresh; over Direct flame; Medium heat; 20-25 minutes
Sausage, pre-cooked; over Direct flame; Medium heat; 10-12 minutes
Pork chops, boneless or bone in; ½” thick; over Direct heat; High heat; 5-7 minutes
Pork chops, boneless or bone in; ¾” thick; over Direct heat; High heat; 6-8 minutes
Pork chops, boneless or bone in; 1” thick; over Direct heat; High heat; 8-10 minutes
Pork chops, boneless or bone in; 1 ¼” – 1 ½” thick; over Direct/Indirect heat; High/Medium heat; 10-12 minutes (NOTE: Sear 6 minutes Direct High, grill 4-6 minutes, Indirect Medium)
Loin roast, boneless, 2 ½ lbs; over Direct heat; Medium heat; 40-45 minutes
Loin roast, bone in, 5-6 lbs; over Direct heat; Medium heat; 1 ¼ hours – 1 ¾ hours
Pork Shoulder (Boston butt), boneless, 5-6 lbs; over Direct heat; Low heat; 3 ½ - 4 hours
Pork, ground, ½” thick; over Direct heat; Medium heat; 8-10 minutes
Ribs, baby back, 1 ½ to 2 lbs; over Indirect heat; Low heat; 1 ½ - 2 hours
Spareribs, 3-5 lbs; over Indirect heat; Low heat; 2 ½ - 3 hours
Ribs, bone in, 3 – 4 lbs; over Indirect heat; Medium heat; 1 ½ - 2 hours
Tenderloin, whole, ¾ to 1 lb; over Direct heat; Medium heat; 15 – 20 minutes

Friday, February 15, 2019

Testing Potato-crusted Chicken Quiche

This is a long-time recipe on La Mouffette Gourmande which I haven't made in a long time because I no longer buy chicken pieces, I only buy whole chickens until I can grow my own. Therefore, I am posting the link to this recipe here to test it using leftover whole chicken. I'm sure it'll be fine! And it'll be nice to return to an loved recipe.

https://lamouffettegourmande.blogspot.com/2010/12/simple-and-deceptively-delicious.html

2 potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1 Tbsp. unbleached flour
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1 cup grated cheese
12 - 16 oz cooked chicken, diced
2 green onions, chopped

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375F.
  2. Bring a bot of water to boil, and blanch the potatoes; about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool.
  3. Whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, flour, pepper, and hot sauce. Stir in the cheese, the chicken, and the green onions.
  4. Butter a pie dish and arrange the slices in a single layer to cover the bottom and the sides of the dish.
  5. Pour the egg mixture into the potato bowl.
  6. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow it to cool at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving, otherwise it'll be too hot!

Sunday, February 10, 2019

Braised leg of lamb - Testing

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/241514/slow-cooker-roasted-leg-of-lamb/
https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Braised-Leg-of-Lamb
https://thehealthyfoodie.com/braised-leg-of-lamb/
0 - In preparing the ingredients for my first attempt at this frankensteined recipe, I realized that I am limited by the size of my crock pot, which cannot accommodate the amount of vegetables I'd initially set my heart on. I've adjusted the quantity from 3 lbs potatoes, 6 large carrots and 1 large onion. I also made a slight change by laying the rosemary on the bottom, under the meat.
1 - The meat was very well cooked, tender and juice, but the vegetables were all undercooked, especially the carrots. I had to keep the meat warm and put the veg on the stove to cook. I wonder, should I have put them all on the bottom and the meat on top, instead of the veg all around?

1 boneless leg of lamb (3-4 lbs)
2 Tbsps lard (or other healthy cooking fat) (I used reserved fat rendered from cooking other lamb)
1 lb potatoes, cleaned and cut to size
4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
3-4 carrots, in chunks
6 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 onion, cut into wedges
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup red wine
Minced flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  1. Bring leg of lamb to room temperature (about 2 hours).
  2. Melt the lard in a large heavy skillet set over high heat. Sprinkle the leg of lamb generously with salt and pepper and place it in the hot pan; brown well on all sides.
  3. Arrange potatoes, garlic, carrots, rosemary, bay leaves, and onions around lamb; pour in chicken stock and wine. Season wine mixture with salt and pepper.
  4. Cook on Low, without removing the cover, for 5 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 145 degrees F (65 degrees C). Let lamb rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
  5. Transfer lamb and vegetables to a large serving platter and sprinkle with minced parsley; serve pan juices on the side.

Sunday, February 3, 2019

Chocolate Baked Oatmeal Custard - Testing

Adapted from the Orange and Cardamom baked oatmeal custard in The Scottish Oats Bible by Nichola Fletcher, p.71

1 - Alrighty, still in the testing phase - the oatmeal did not fully cook! I followed the instructions, but didn't listen to my intuition nor my experience. I've cooked pinhead or steel cut oats before, with success, but never spent a half hour stirring; I'd just leave it on low and let it cook on its own. Which I will try next time! I also used about 1/4 tsp of ground cardamom, and the flavour didn't come out.
2 - Interesting but a bit odd, still. The I used freshly ground cardamom from ground and it was too strong, it seemed. I also reduced the chocolate by half and it was plenty chocolatey, I'd even say chocolate flavor saturated. The texture was nice but a bit off. The grains of cooked oats were too spread out, and we longed for a more tapioca pudding-like experience. Next time, I will increase the quantity of oats, before doing anything about the cardamom. I suspect more oats will absorb some of the flavor, and I'll have to play around a bit with the second dosing of milk and cream to avoid increasing the volume of liquid. We ate it warm, I'm curious about it cold. 24/12/04

1/4 1/3 cup pinhead oats
1 oz sugar
1 cup milk
4 cardamom pods
6oz chocolate or chocolate chips
1 egg
1/3 cup cream
1/3 cup milk
  1. Put the oats into a saucepan with the sugar and milk. Bring to a slow boil then turn down to a slow simmer, covered, and let cook for about  and stir over medium heat for 20-30 minutes to make a soft porridge. While the oats are cooking, husk and grind the cardamom and add them.
  2. Once the oatmeal is cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the grated chocolate until well blended. Set aside and allow it to cool.
  3. While the oatmeal cools, pre-heat the oven to 275F.
  4. In a large bowl beat the egg then whisk in the cream and milk.
  5. Once the oatmeal has cooled enough, mix it in to the egg mixture, thoroughly.
  6. Turn into a shallow dish and bake until set, for about 40-45 minutes, depending on depth.
  7. Serve warm.

Types of Oats


I'm starting to experiment with recipes based on oats, inspired by the discovery that a little oatmeal in split pea soup makes for a smooth, unctuous texture (with no oatey flavour or texture). Turns out there are loads of grinds for oats that make a big impact on what you can do with them. I need a list of definitions to refer to until I become more familiar with the different kinds.

Oat groats are simply the whole grain, unprocessed except to have the tough outer skin removed. Think of brown rice.

Pinhead oats, Steel-cut oats, Coarse oatmeal, or Irish oatmeal, cracked groats, milled to varying coarseness: Pinhead (coarse or rough oatmeal, Low GI); Medium (most common in Scottland, 1-2mm in diameter, Low GI); Fine oatmeal or Oatmeal flour (not exactly interchangeable as the former still has the bran, Medium GI).

Rolled Oats, Jumbo, Old fashioned, Porridge oats, Flaked oats, (sometimes Quick oats or Quick Cook), where the groat is steamed then rolled flat to make a flake. Medium GI.

Instant Oats have been cooked longer and, because of the extra processing, is considered High GI.